Molecular Basis of Loss Aversion

Launched by SIR RUN RUN SHAW HOSPITAL · Sep 5, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how certain brain chemicals, dopamine and norepinephrine, affect the way healthy people make decisions, especially when they face the possibility of losing something. The researchers want to find out if increasing dopamine levels or decreasing norepinephrine levels can change how we think about gains and losses in different decision-making situations, like investing money or making moral choices. Participants will complete four different tasks after taking either a medication (madopar or propranolol) or a placebo (a sugar pill that has no effect) to see how these brain chemicals influence their decisions.

To be eligible for this trial, participants need to be between 25 and 40 years old, have at least a basic education, and be in good health with normal vital signs like blood pressure and heart rate. Unfortunately, people with mental health issues, certain physical illnesses, or those who are pregnant or breastfeeding cannot take part. If you join the study, you'll go through some assessments before starting, and then you'll participate in the decision-making tasks while taking the assigned treatment. This research aims to help us better understand how our brains process potential losses, which could have implications for various fields like finance and mental health.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Age 25-40 years old (including boundary value).
• • 2. Elementary school education or above, able to understand the research content.
• • 3. Body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and electrocardiogram are all normal. Among them, the blood pressure range is 100-139/70-89 mmHg, and the heart rate range is 60-85 beats/min.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Vulnerable groups, including people with mental illness, cognitive impairment, critically ill subjects, minors, pregnant women, illiterates, etc.
• • 2. Family history of genetic diseases.
• • 3. Major physical diseases, including cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, renal, endocrine, blood and other systemic diseases.
• • 4. History of alcohol/drug dependence.
• • 5. Lactating women.
• • 6. The cardiopulmonary function test results are poor.
• • 7. Have ever taken madopar or propranolol for medical use.